Amazon Just Unveiled A New TV Streaming Stick, And It's Cheaper Than Roku's

Just about six months after Amazon unveiled its first set-top box, the company is announcing a new TV streaming dongle meant to compete with Google's Chromecast and the Roku Stick.

Amazon's new Fire TV Stick is available for preorder starting today, and it costs $39.

That's a tiny bit more expensive than the Chromecast ($35), but it's still cheaper than Roku's dongle ($50).

If you're a Prime member, you can preorder the streaming stick for $19 for the next two days.

The Fire TV Stick will ship on Nov. 19.

The Fire TV Stick comes with a remote control, but if you want the same voice search-enabled controller that's bundled with the Fire TV you'll have to buy it separately for $29.99.

However, you can still use Amazon's voice search feature if you download its remote control app.

You'll also get the same features Amazon bundles with its other products, including Whispersync, which syncs video and music across devices, and X-Ray for viewing information about movies or TV shows you're currently watching on your Fire tablet. It comes with a free month of Amazon Prime, too.

Amazon is touting the Fire Stick as a direct competitor to the Chromecast, but the two devices actually work a little differently. The Chromecast, as its name implies, "casts" content from your Android phone, tablet, or laptop to your TV. This means you need to first start streaming something on your phone, tablet, or laptop to watch it on your TV.

The Fire Stick is a smaller, more condensed version of the Fire TV that Amazon claims is the size of a stick of gum. You can just plug it into your TV to start watching movies or TV shows, just like the Roku Stick.

Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions.